Arch support



June 10 1924.

1,497,640 A. REED ARCH SUPPORT Filed July 31 1925 INVENTOR Patented June 10, 1924.

ADAM nnnn, or YAKIMA, WASHINGTON.

ARCH SUPPORT.

Application filed July 31,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ADAM REED, a citizen of the United States, residing at Yakima, in the county of Yakima and State of Wash ington, have invented new and useful Im provements in Arch Supports, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention pertains to arch supports and it contemplates the provision of a reinforcement at the heel portion of the support whereby curling or up-turning of the support at the heel is precluded.

The invention further contemplates the provision in an arch support of means whereby the said support will retain its natural shape even after long wear and rough usage.

The invention in all of its details will be fully understood from the following description and claims when the same are read in connection with the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the invention and showing my novel improvements secured in the heel portion of an arch sup port.

Figure 2 is a side elevation showing the support and showing a portion thereof in section.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 but showing the support from the under-side.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the views of the drawings.

The support per se is of the ordinary well known construction and may be formed of leather, metal or any other suitable material and comprises the underneath leather portion 1 and the upper portion that is substan tially fiat at 1 and is raised at the point 2. The support further comprises the pad portion that engages the ball of the foot and indicated by 3 and the said ball or pad portion is stitched at 4- and is cushioned by means of felt or other suitable material as indicated by 5.

My novel improvements are secured in the heel of the well known support already described by producing'pockets 7 and inserting in said pockets the metallic strips, 6. These pockets are produced on the underside 1 of the support, or in other words in the side of the support that does not contact with the heel of the wearer, by placing a piece of leather that corresponds with the heel of 1923. Serial No. 654,941.

the support and then simply stitching around one edge to the point previously marked for the first pocket 7, then over to the place marked second pocket 7 and finally around the edge and down to the leather covering and up to the edge of the heel and around the edge to the end'of the heel covering as indicated by stitching 8.

It will be manifest from the foregoing that my novel means prevents turning up of the support at the heel; this being the case in all arch supports as experience has shown that nine out of ten supports turn up at the heel after being placed in a pair of shoes and thus doing away with the purpose for which an arch support is intended. Turning up at the heel shortens the support by moving the high point too far in rear of the transverse arch and the high point of the inner longitudinal arch of the foot thus rendering the support useless and injurious on account of its shortness.

With my novel improvements this will be avoided as the arch will not turn up at the heel and consequently remain in its proper position at all times. The covering 1* will protect the heel of the wearer from the stitching 8 and said heel will not come in contact with the ridges made thereby.

The device is extremely inexpensive to pro duce and may be inserted in supports either at the time of making of the supports or subsequently.

I lay no claim to the construction of supporter but to the stiffening strips of spring material. However, I reserve to myself the right to employ a strengthening strip formed of a single piece of material and if this is done I would substitute a single pocket 7 shaped to conform to the heel of the support.

Having described my invention what I claim and desire to obtain by Letters Patent is 1. In means for preventing the heel portion of a heel support from turning upwardly, the combination with the heel portion of the support, of pockets; said pockets being formed by stitching a leather covering over the heel seat of the support in such a manner that the outer ends of the pockets are closed and the inner ends of the pockets are partially open to receive strips of metal, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In means for preventing the heel of a support from turning upwardly, the oombination with the heel portion of the support, of pockets produced on the heel portion by placing a piece of leather thereon across, then downwardly, again stitchingaround the heel for a slight distance, then upwardly and across and downwardly and finally around the edge of the heel to pro- (luce pockets for the reception of metal 10 strips substantially as" specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing Wit-- nesses.

V ADAM REED. lVitnesses C. E. DONOVAN, S. D. CRAWFORD. 

